Media Communication: 3 Tips for Working with Reporters

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Are you building strong relationships with reporters? Follow these media pitching tips.

A great public relations campaign is a successful way to achieve free publicity and a lot of buzz. Unfortunately, no matter how many pitches you send out, reporters will always have the final say on running your content. This means sometimes you may get misquoted or mentioned less than you were originally promised.

Media communication is all about establishing two-way relationships. Here is a quick guide to working with reporters, how to maintain relationships and get them to report your story.

Media Communication: 3 Tips for Working with Reporters

Be Accessible

An essential part of great media communication is accessibility. Reporters want to be able to get information for their stories easily and quickly. You want to make yourself as available to the reporter as you can be, which means including your contact information (phone and email), and preparing yourself to readily give out information at the drop of a hat. Before you even press send, you should have these items available.

Be Flexible

Reporters are busy people. They are constantly fielding media requests from public relations practitioners, both good and bad. In addition to offering flexible timing to reporters, it is helpful to be flexible with your content as well. When communicating with the public, it is never good to keep certain topics off-limits; it creates the illusion of secrecy. Be transparent with your message and willing to work with the journalist.

Relationships Rule

Once you work with a reporter, send them a handwritten thank you note after your coverage has come out. A personalized thank you goes a long way and you never know when the next project they are working on will align well with your product or service.

When it comes to media communication, it is important to establish a good working relationship with reporters. Have you worked with the media? What advice do you have for other businesses that want to work with the press?